I didn't Know that I was Starving
by Enigm4
Summary: Years have passed and Ash's journey finally comes to an end when he is announced as Champion of the Kalos Region. He soon learns, however, that the end of one journey only means the beginning of another, and that the saying "you always meet twice" has more to it than one might expect. New challenges lead to old friends and unforeseen revelations occur... Shalourshipping.
1. It's a long Way to the Top…

**It's a long Way to the Top...**

 **… if you wanna catch 'em all.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** **Pokémon is a registered trademark of Nintendo and its joint businesses. The author does in no way, shape or form claim ownership of the franchise this story is based on. He does, however, see the (more or less creative) plot of this story as his intellectual property and disapproves of any exploitation and proliferation without his knowledge. The author also reminds that he does not take responsibility for any side-effects this story may cause during and/or after consumption (i.e. boredom, hollow feeling hence to unsatisfactory ending, diabetes, etc.). The contents of this disclaimer apply to all chapters this story may contain.**

 **Enigm4 speaking, just in case you wondered how this story came to be: A few years ago, I swore to myself that I would never publish again. Then came the day I watched the XY-Series, thought Korrina and Ash would make an interesting couple and searched for matching stories on here. Since I was thoroughly disappointed with the results, I concluded that I would have to make my own story. So, one thing lead to the other, and... here we are. Since this piece of work consumed a considerable amount of time, I hope that at least some of you enjoy it. Feel free to express your thoughts on this story through all means this website provides. Now, without further ado…**

* * *

 ** _— Chapter one —_**

Ash had learned to love the calming warmth that flooded him during meditation. How he was able to blend out anything but the low rumble of the waves washing over the sand in front of him. How even this sound seemed to grow fainter and fainter with time.

He loved the way the last sunrays of today's day slowly slid off his face - how he collected the warm, slightly salty air with deep breaths, in and out.

In meditation he had found a way to ease his once so very energetic mind. He didn't necessarily need it to uphold the image of the new, rational and responsible Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town anymore, but it sure still helped a lot.

Yes, he loved it – maybe even a little too much, he realized, as he suddenly had the infamous sensation of falling that often followed microsleep. Ash jumped in his seat, already losing his hard earned, focused state-of-mind.

 _"You know that meditation is only supposed to make you relax so far, Ash"_ a feminine voice murmured into his mind, while he slowly rubbed the back of his neck to calm the hairs that now stood there on end.

Ash knew without looking that the blue jackal-like being next to him was eyeing him with the hint of a smirk on her lips.

He sighed, untangling his crossed legs and leaning back into the sand around him. His two brown, half-lidded eyes now set on the small island in front of him.

"Sorry, girl" he finally answered with a chuckle "it's just… I haven't had a lot of sleep since we won the Conference and everything that happened afterwards. I guess I just got lost in temptation."

Ash felt slight movement to his left, no doubt his partner mimicking his position and following his view.

" _It could have been easier, yeah…"_ the low pitch of his blue-furred companion's voice now making the young trainer look at her with worry _"if a certain Lucario wouldn't have put unnecessary obstacles in the way, for example…"_

"Oh, come on. You stop with the depressing talk right now - that's so not like you! You are awesome, never forget that. And we will handle this little knickknack in no time, okay?"

The female Lucario giggled slightly, as her trainer gently rubbed her between the ears, a thing he always did when the hearing appendages threatened to get droopy.

 _"You're right."_ Lucario took a deep breath " _It's those blasted pretty sunsets - must be. Making me gloomy like that."_

"They sure are something else…" Ash stretched his arms up before standing up. Of course not like any normal person would, but with a dramatic backwards roll. Old habits die hard, after all there still _was_ a bit of his energetic old self left.

"All right, low tide's almost here. Time for our big entrance, girl!"

 _"I can go without a big entrance, especially if you embarrass us like that"_ the Lucario returned dryly, taking the extended hand her trainer offered to stand up.

She brushed off the sand that still clung to her fur before following Ash along the slim path that now connected the mainland and the island ahead.

* * *

You're probably still wondering if it's true what you read. Ash Ketchum winning a Pokémon League Conference? Why, yes – and it doesn't even stop there!

You see, after losing against Alain in the Lumiose Conference by a hair's breadth, Ash pondered for a while.

What was it that he still lacked after all this time of travelling, training, sweating and bleeding?

In the end, he decided to try a different approach.

He built up a synergetic all-star team, consisting of the six strongest Pokémon that had journeyed with him – Pikachu in the lead, of course. He revisited most of the regions, meeting up with old friends and this time actively training for a league-styled tournament without getting sidetracked (too much).

During an excessive training session in Mt. Silver, basically consisting of his Gible chewing trough tons and tons of stone to finally reach its final evolution state of Garchomp (it did, after a while), he dug up a mysterious stone.

From his experience in Kalos, Ash could tell that this had to be a Mega-Stone, though for which Pokémon it was, he did not know at the time.

Further along his journey, in Hoenn, he met up with Steven Stone, who coincidentally learnt of Ash's possession (Ash might have dropped his overloaded backpack on the Champion's foot, but that really isn't the point now).

The stone collector could doubtlessly identify it as a Charizardite Y.

Steven must have seen the spark in Ash back then. He must have known that the young trainer had finally grown enough to make it in the fierce environment of League-competitions.

 _Why_ , you ask? Because he made Ash the life-changing offer to battle him for the Charizardite, in return staking a precious Key-Stone for Ash to win.

Steven didn't stand a chance. Ash still wasn't sure if he had even tried to win.

The next half year consisted of more rigorous training, where the young man from Pallet Town probably suffered more than all his loyal partners combined - a person could only take so many Flare Blasts and Flamethrowers when training his Mega-Pokémon, after all.

Then, only a few months before the tournament, fate thought it funny to make things interesting once more.

Keaton, the caretaker of the forest in Kalos where Ash once caught his Hawlucha, contacted the man in a desperate state of mind.

He explained that a young brat with an overpowered Blastoise, sponsored by daddy (his choice of words), had captured the Machamp that was supposed to keep the peace between the strong and the weaker Pokémon in the forest.

Apparently, it hadn't taken long for all hell to break lose in the small ecosystem.

Hawlucha, of course, wanted to return and make things right again.

So, Ash let him go. He was never one to deny his friends requests of that magnitude.

Yet, that left him short of his only fighting-type Pokémon.

He now had two choices. He could call upon his Infernape to fill the gap and have a second fire-type beside Charizard in his team. A problem, should he face an opponent with a strong water-type. An even bigger problem, if the opponent was smart enough to avoid Ash's Sceptile and Pikachu with it.

His second option was to play a game of _risk-everything-and-hopefully-come-out-on-top_.

Since Ash was still Ash, he chose the latter.

At this time, the trainer happened to be in Sinnoh, where he remembered an encounter with a certain Aura Sphere wielding Riolu a few years ago. He made his way to the Lucario-Kingdom, hoping he could inspire his old friend to join him, if only for a little while.

It turned out that the gifted Pokémon, now evolved into a Lucario, could not leave his people even if he wanted to. Besides regular attacks of a rowdy pack of Manectric, the guardian and his mate had to hatch their third egg – both things Lucario couldn't and wouldn't hand over to someone else.

Lucario's second born daughter, however, had instantly clung to Ash's pant leg as she heard of his intention to recruit a powerful partner.

Against all better judgment and with her father's consent, Ash caught the female Riolu.

 _Why_ , you ask again? Have you ever had a little voice in your head? No? Let's just say it's too hard to say no to someone who's Aura synced so hard with yours that she's able to beg you in the human tongue to take her with you.

Training before seemed like a piece of cake compared to what Ash had to endure now, in the last phase before the Lumiose Conference began.

He had to fine tune his team (the hardest part of the whole process), all while training a new Pokémon up to League-final-standards that loved to shoot Aura Spheres left and right, but was a complete stranger when it came to actual Pokémon battles.

In the end, it still paid off.

The (unthankful) second place in the previous year's Lumiose Conference qualified Ash for the tournament in the year that followed without having to earn all eight badges once more.

Ash finished his preparations just in time to sign up, too.

He literally was the last person to enter, since he had miscalculated his training schedule, resulting in him missing his flight from Sinnoh to Kalos and forcing him to ride his Mega-evolved Charizard for hours on end instead.

Due to the frostbite on his fingers, his signature on the application form had looked like a five year old wrote it.

After sleeping through the whole first day of battles, Ash took the Conference by storm.

Even his opponent in the final, a unknown kid that loved to act mysteriously with his all-legendary team just got lucky when he managed to best Pikachu with a sloppy Struggle Attack by his Regirock, leading to an one-on-one finish between Regirock and (the up to then only in the preliminary rounds used) Riolu as Ash's joker.

Despite just having lost two legendary Pokémon to a small Pikachu, the generic trainer dared to laugh at the small Aura wielder, spiking her determination in ways that made her evolve into Lucario then and there – not a single move required.

Ash could have dropped out of the Conference right then for all he cared – the look on his opponent's face was worth more than any title, ever.

Needless to say that Regirock was (metaphorically) blasted to pieces by the well rested and battle hungry Lucario, marking her proud trainer as winner of the Lumiose Conference.

The celebrations only lasted shortly, though. Ash had already refocused his mind on the Champion League – _HIS_ Champion League, where he could earn the Title of Kalos' Champion, should he be able to defeat the Elite-Four and the current Champion alike.

Due to their unbalanced teams, the Elite-Four members only presented a surprisingly minor challenge for the young adult.

"Minor challenge" meaning, that his last Pokémon always faced an already exhausted last Pokémon of his opponent when switched in, nothing more.

Diantha, however, was a different story.

Ash barely held on to his League-issue base cap, as his Mega-Charizard Flare Blasted the last obstacle out of his way in a final effort.

The actress' Mega-Gardevoir hit the ground only moments before Charizard (have you ever heard of a photo-finish in a Pokémon battle? Me neither), but that was good enough.

On his knees and maybe just as beaten up as his Pokémon (thanks to the pain inflicted on him by his special bond with Greninja), Ash decided in the rubble of what used to be a battlefield once that _this_ was good enough.

What else was there to prove? "Pokémon Master" was no title he could legally earn. It was okay, though.

With only twenty years of age, he had managed to become Kalos' third ever Champion. Good enough, indeed.

But the journey was far from over. It turned out that there was more to being a Champion than just be the best at battling. The Pokémon League sent him to an undisclosed facility, where he learned the ways of human diplomacy and Pokémon anatomy. They taught him unbelievable training methods to secure his position (apparently, the League didn't want to train a new Champion every year), and so much more in just a year.

Then came the day where he was publically announced as new Champion of the Kalos League. His mother was there, professor Oak, most of his old friends… all had been proud. He had been proud, too. Prouder than ever.

Diantha had handed him her title, along with a present (a custom among Champions) and a genuine smile.

It had been another Mega-Stone. Lucarionite.

She said that Ash's final in the Lumiose Conference had inspired her. That it had shown just how much he loved his Pokémon, no matter how inexperienced or not, and the lengths he was willing to go alongside them.

Ash had picked up the ways of meditation by then and was able to control his emotions fairly well.

He still cried harder than the Mirror-Ash he met in Reflection Cave ever had, and that was okay, too.

After things had settled a bit, Ash was instructed by the League to introduce what should be his trademark "Champion's golden six" to the public, which basically were the Pokémon he won the Champion League with.

He encountered one problem, however: No matter under what circumstances Lucario evolved into her newly gained Mega form, she immediately collapsed into a whimpering heap, overburdened by the environmental influences.

Ash's team may have been more than worthy of a Champion without a second Mega-evolving Pokémon, yet both trainer and Lucario felt their deep bond of friendship to be jeopardized by the inability to control this cruel whim of nature.

Which leads us to this quiet evening.

Shalour City, Kalos. City of awakening, harboring the Tower of Mastery and maybe a solution for our heroes' problem.

* * *

 _"You said the gym-leader we're going to meet is a female, right? You think you can court her with dopey moves like that?"_ Lucario teased her trainer.

Ash tried to keep a straight face so hard that he nearly stumbled as he tugged anxiously at the black scarf that he now donned in addition to his new attire, consisting of black, fingerless gloves, dark cargo pants and a black-and-blue unzipped light jacket that revealed the equally black t-shirt underneath.

He tried to avoid unwanted attention ever since the first time he landed on Lumiose International Airport as Champion, not covering his identity in innocent ignorance. Thinking about that day still gave him the shivers. That was the day when he had ditched his conspicuous base cap, too.

"We're not here to ' _court_ ' anybody, girl!"

" _Right. One-hundred percent serious business. No distractions."_ Lucario kept quiet for a few steps, but Ash felt it in her Aura that this wasn't everything she wanted to say, by far. He was proven right.

 _"You know, I really tried, but you're right. I simply can't think of anything but visiting a secluded, romantic island in the middle of nowhere to cure my condition."_

"It's OUR condition" Ash corrected, exasperated "and there may have been other ways, but I think we deserve a little vacation once in a while, too, don't we?"

" _I think, strictly based on my experience and observations... that you have ulterior motiiiiives."_ Lucario chanted, not losing her teasing tone.

"Har-har. You know, it's funny 'cause I wasn't the one wagging my tail like a Growlithe when I heard that Korrina had a Lucario, too. No doubt you'll make a lasting impression on him like that."

 _"What's that supposed to mean?!"_ Lucarios fur bristled in indignation _"Like what?! What am I like?!"_

Ash tried his best to stifle his laughter, but failed miserably.

"Oh, you know… just straightforward, hot-tempered… everything a Lucario normally isn't."

He didn't get anything but a scornful grunt for an answer – that didn't keep him from laughing heartily about his pouting blue-furred companion, though.

After a while Lucario couldn't help but smile at her trainer's antics. It was nice to see him unwind a little, she confessed to herself, while playing with the charm around her neck that contained the Lucarionite. It imitated a small Aura Sphere in style.

His laughter finally died down and Lucario decided to address another thing on her mind, welcoming the change of topic.

 _"You think Pikachu's peeved that we didn't take him with us?"_ she asked.

"Naah. I don't think so." Ash answered, the glee in his tone still present "He's probably lying on the sofa right about now, content and filled to the brim with ketchup, thanks to my mum. He did get a little lazy after the Champion League. Guess motivation dwindles when you have proven that you're the strongest of your kind – multiple times."

Lucario made no move to hide the chuckle that escaped her after seeing the mental image of the electric mouse her trainer sent through their link.

* * *

 _"Well, this is it"_ Ash noted, now talking through Aura, too, as the path came to an end in front of a staircase made of stone that lead to a giant double door.

Determined, he climbed the stairs and placed his hands on the iron handles embedded into the wood.

With a mental _"open sesame!"_ he pushed.

It didn't open.

The only pertinent comment Lucario had to offer, was _"Maybe you have to pull?"_ answered by her trainer with an irritated 'are-you-serious glance'.

He pulled nonetheless, but the door still didn't budge.

Ash stepped back and hesitated a little. His view then fell upon the stone walls next to the gate.

 _"Mind to give me a boost up?"_ he asked nonchalantly.

 _"You want to… break in?!"_ the Aura-Pokémon was astonished, to say the least.

 _"That's kind of a harsh formulation. Anyways, turning back is no option, since the water is already back on the rise. The way I see it, the only other options are to ask Charizard to fly us in, causing a huge ruckus, no doubt…"_ Ash stopped in thought.

 _"Or?"_

 _"OR… well, I really don't have a problem with shouting: 'I, Champion Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town demand entrance on behalf of the glorious Pokémon League at once!', but that would probably be embarrassing, AND cause a huge ruckus, no less."_

Lucario rolled her eyes and snorted in defeat. She walked over to the wall and knelt down into a boosting position.

 _"Ready when you are, wise guy."_

 _"Thanks, girl!"_

With a bit of teamwork, climbing the wall wasn't even challenging for the duo and they were wandering the cobblestone streets towards the Tower of Mastery in no time.

"They really take Gurkinn's guidelines seriously around here…" Ash mumbled aloud to no one in particular as they passed yet another closed souvenir shop.

 _"Huh?"_

" _'Go to bed early, be early to rise' – one of the rules Korrina's grandfather set in his guidelines to become a good gym-leader. He used to be kind of secretive about those, but everybody here seems to take after them_ " Ash explained.

 _"You would make a horrible gym-leader then"_ Lucario remarked matter-of-factly, making her trainer rub his the back of his head in embarrassment.

 _"Hehe, probably true. Thank Arceus that I'm just a lowly Champion, huh?"_

With a friendly elbow to his ribs Lucario retorted: _"You better still keep some discipline, or I might just see a better future for me alongside a chunky, rule-abiding gym-leader."_

 _"Nah, I think Korrina's Lucario is more your type."_

 _"ASH!"_

* * *

As the two finally stood in front of the Tower of Mastery, Ash this time denied himself the catchphrase as he tried to pry open the door that blocked them access. It looked a lot like its big bother at the island gate…

… and was locked just as well.

 _"No shouting?"_ Ash sighed.

 _"No shouting."_ Lucario confirmed.

 _"Well then, since this island lacks a Pokémon Centre and the inns seem to board up their doors at nine PM, there's really only one thing we can do…"_

The blue furred jackal already knew where this was going. She asked, regardless.

 _"And what would that be?"_

Ash grinned one of his rare old grins, as he rummaged through his backpack, finally reaching his Pokémon a black, rolled up sweatshirt.

 _"Are you ready to spend a night under the stars with your humble trainer like in the old days, girl?"_

She smiled at him and took the makeshift pillow with a quiet _"thanks"_ before settling down on the stone slabs next to her trainer, who had already shoved his backpack under his head.

 _"Sooo… romantic sunset… long walks on the beach… stargazing… I had no idea you planned this whole trip to court ME, Ash."_ Lucario purred in a pretend flirtatious voice.

 _"I'm not 'courting' you. I'm not courting anybody. Will you finally stop with that?"_ Ash murmured with a weak chuckle.

 _"Right. Saving it all up for Korrina, no doubt. Good thinking. No need to pretend, though. I see right through you."_

 _"Goodnight, girl."_

 _"Knew it aaall along."_

 _"GOODNIGHT!"_


	2. Stranger Things have happened…

**Stranger Things have happened...**

 **... I know.**

* * *

 **Enigma4 speaking, I just wanted to voice my utmost gratitude for your reviews, follows and favorites - I would be lying if I told you that they aren't a huge part of why I'm publishing this here piece of work. Now, to answer a few questions that came up in the reviews: This story is not supposed to be a huge project, since I know from experience that those tend to get abandoned and leave their readers disappointed. Nevertheless, it will contain another chapter or two, so don't worry. The story will focus mainly on Korrina and Ash, no-one else. I will try to keep our protagonists in character, but cannot promise you anything, since I only have so much skill when it comes to writing. To the person asking about my older works... they are long lost and in another language, anyways – sorry, mate. I do realize that this will not be the best tale to ever make it onto pixilated paper, but I do hope that you will continue to enjoy, so... let's just see and continue, me writing and you reviewing, shall we not?**

* * *

 ** _—_** ** _Chapter two —_**

"YOU! What do you think you're doing?! Grrr… when will you people finally get it into your heads that this isn't the store of some overhyped electronics' brand where you can just… _camp_ for the best spot?! You need an _appointment_ if you want a Gym-battle! HEY! Are you even listening?!"

It wasn't exactly as bad as waking up to a full blown Thunderbolt, but the loud yelling and kicks against the sole of Ash's shoe were not a Blissey's wake-up-kiss, either.

In his somewhat semi-aware state of mind, the trainer mumbled unintelligibly. He lifted his head up, squinting against the light that engulfed him.

Although Ash was in no shape to be surprised yet, he surely felt a similar emotion when he realized that the source of this whole ordeal was a short, tanned girl standing at his feet, sporting rollerblades and full skating gear, brown hair sticking out of her black helmet in two equally long pigtails.

The girl must have been fourteen, fifteen at most and used her purple eyes to shoot him pointed looks like a grown-up, continuously tapping a pen on the edge of the clipboard her gloved fingers held with an iron grip. It seemed that everything he said now could and would be written down and used against him in the court of law.

In no way did the girl seem fazed by the Lucario that was already standing in a defensive manner next to her trainer, equally as stunned, but faster to react.

The small creak of a door being pushed open may have registered in Ash's subconscious, but the man was still too baffled to do anything but stare at the roller skater before him with raised eyebrows.

Only when he heard the sound of a pleasantly raspy and faintly familiar voice, he seemed to slowly regain control over his physical abilities.

"What's going on out here?"

Those were the words that immediately changed the demeanor of the brown haired _'defender of public stone slabs'_ into that of a teacher's favorite little tattletale.

"I am so terribly sorry to start the day like that, Lady Korrina, but–" she now pointed her pen accusingly at Ash, "I found another trainer loitering in front of the arena! I was just about to call Officer Jenny!"

At the mentioning of the Gym-leader's name, Ash instantly spun his head towards the second voice, nearly pulling a muscle in his neck from the sudden movement.

Indeed, standing there was Korrina, Shalour City's prodigy.

And just like that, Ash was back into his shell-shocked state of mind.

Korrina may not have grown anything in height, but she surely had grown up to be a woman. Her style hadn't changed much. She had continued to tame her voluminous lemon-blonde hair into one long pony tail with a single, desperate hair tie. There still was this one stray fringe that swayed in front of her light-blue eyes. Even the white and red cheerleading outfit with the lose t-shirt of the same colors and the black biker shorts underneath (probably to deny people in unfavorable positions views that they were unworthy of) hadn't changed.

But the way she stood there, the way she held herself… time had truly passed. That, and her sunglasses were missing.

* * *

It merely took a (forceful) mental poke from Lucario and Ash scrambled to his feet, pondering for a short while that he now looked _down_ on the Gym-leader.

He shook the though off and choked out a throaty: "Hey, Korrina…" running a hand through his bed-head, not that it fixed anything.

The woman's expression changed from wonder to recognition, then to mischievous delight, as she put her hands on her hips and endowed him with a dazzling smile.

"Now, would you look what the Meowth dragged in and left right on my doorstep! If it isn't his highness the Champion of Kalos himself! You cut your hair – I like it! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Before Ash could answer, a surprised yelp made him turn back around. Times were tough for his not-so-warmed-up neck muscles.

The girl, who could have been his executioner just moments ago, now looked at him with eyes wide open, her hands clasped over her mouth in shock.

"T-THE champion? A-Ash Ketchum? Arceus, I didn't know! He… he doesn't look like on TV at all! I am s-so sorry, Lady Korrina!"

"Kate."

"I don't even know where to start to apologize, Mister Ketchum-" the girl whined on, despite the interruption.

"KATE."

"Y-yeah?" She finally gave in, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Why don't you let me take it from here? Go inside and prepare us for the day, okay?"

The Gym-leader managed to hold her smile until Kate had rolled by, upset, and with a quiet "of course, Lady Korrina" disappeared into the Tower of Mastery.

Korrina exhaled loudly after the door had fallen shut, her fringe jumping a little.

"I'm sorry about Katherine. She takes her apprenticeship just very seriously. Anyways, I think you wanted to explain why exactly you decided to spent the night on my doormat, _weren't you_ , Ash?"

Korrina's eyes fell back onto the freshly awakened man in front of her, when for the first time it seemed, she realized that there was a Lucario standing a little forlorn next to her trainer, fiddling with her paws in discomfort.

Ash wasn't even able to pronounce the first word of his explanation before he was interrupted yet again.

"Oh… OH, MY! It's her! Forget what I just said, I don't even care anymore! Why don't you introduce us instead?"

In a flash Korrina was standing in front of Ash's bewildered Lucario, taking her paws in her hands and mustering her with adoration.

"Uhm..." the young man rubbed his neck sheepishly "Korrina, that's Lucario. She's kind of the reason why we're here…"

 _"_ _Liar."_ A single word that Ash's partner sent into his mind.

 _"_ _It's not a lie!"_

 _"_ _It's not the whole truth, either, is it?"_

 _"_ _Not now, please!"_

* * *

"A female, no doubt! Oh, they are so rare these days! And she's just so _beautiful_ , too!" Ash was glad that his little mental dispute was interrupted by Korrina's gushing.

Considering the little blush and small smile that crept onto Lucario's muzzle, she didn't mind all the praise, either.

 _"_ _You're quite the catch, yourself."_ The female jackal sent over the Aura link.

Since there was no way the Gym-leader could hear her, Ash wrote it off as just another jab at him.

 _"_ _We're going to have a long chat tonight, Ash."_ Lucario suddenly changed her tone in a way that made her trainer feel uneasy.

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _"_ _Why?! You even copied the way you wear your Mega-Stone from her and still want to tell me you had no ulterior motives coming here, that's why!"_

A shiver ran down Ash's spine. He had forgotten about that little detail. Of course, it just added fuel to the fire.

It was true, Ash had his Key-Stone embedded into the outside of his left fingerless glove, like Korrina. For solely practical reasons, of course.

Try telling that to Lucario, though.

* * *

"… and her Aura! It's unlike anything I have ever felt before! No wonder you did so well in all your battles. Oh, I can't wait to introduce you to my Lucario! I'm sure you two will get along just fine!"

At the mentioning of the male, Lucario visually froze and Ash mentally cheered in triumph. Finally, he could turn the tables – at least for a while.

 _"_ _I'm sure he'll be at your feet in no time."_ The Champion teased.

 _"_ _Shut up. You just want to deflect from your own little infatuation."_

 _"_ _Have I ever told you how well Lucario is able to handle his Bone Rush…?"_

A few mental images from his memory and the female was thoroughly flustered.

Ash knew that his move would be considered as dirty cheating if there ever existed a rulebook for their little game, but he wasn't ashamed to admit that he was desperate to get some peace.

And desperate times called for desperate measures.

"…But look at me going on and on. Alright, I think we have caused enough commotion out here for today. Why don't you come inside? You can join us for breakfast if you want, and we'll be able to talk without ruffle or excitement." Korrina had finally regained her composure, now addressing both trainer and Pokémon alike.

"You had me at breakfast!" Ash agreed enthusiastically, melting just a little on the inside – he had no shame in admitting that food was still one of his big weaknesses.

* * *

"Can I get you anything to drink?" the Gym-leader asked as they entered the Tower of Mastery and slowly made their way towards the big statue of the Mega-evolved Lucario in its center.

"I fear that we only have water, really. But it's good! Straight from the springs of Pomace Mountain!" She hastily added, scratching her head in embarrassment.

"I think water will be just fine, thanks." Ash assured her with a smile and Lucario gave an approving grunt.

Korrina opened her mouth to respond, but a yell that originated somewhere from another hallway preempted her.

"I'M ON IIIT!" It was Katherine, no doubt, and it looked like she wanted to redeem herself as soon as possible.

The blonde Shalour prodigy chuckled with a shake of her head before she yelled back: "Thanks Kate! You know where to find us!"

The trio continued their walk, Lucario taking in the sheer size of everything inside the Tower. It was her first time here, after all, and Ash was still impressed, even though he had seen it before.

"So, _'Lady Korrina'_ …" the young Champion pronounced meaningfully, not able to hold back any longer. Korrina sighed.

"I knew you wouldn't miss out on the title. It's really just Kate that calls me that. I tried to get her to drop it, but you saw how stubborn she can be. It's both a curse and a blessing, I guess. Not even grandpa could sway her mind!"

"No way! He even managed to make _me_ listen to one of his lessons when all I wanted was to battle you for my Gym-badge!" Ash folded his hands behind his head, grinning as he reminisced "Speaking of which, how is Gurkinn doing?"

"Ah, he's just fine. In fact-" Korrina turned towards him, now walking backwards "I have a little surprise for you!"

After a few more steps, they stood in front of the small door embedded into the socket of the Lucario statue.

"Ta-daa!" the Gym-leader exclaimed, pointing her arms towards it in an expressive pose. It took a moment before it dawned on Ash what she meant.

"You're living in the chambers now?" The male trainer was genuinely surprised.

"Yup! Well, not exactly living like grandpa used to, but he decided to retire and pass everything connected to the Tower of Mastery on to me just a few months back. Lucario and I still prefer our flat on the mainland, but I have a little training area down there, as well as a kitchen and everything I need to do my paperwork. And if we ever overstay and miss the low-tide, we can always spend the night in the guest room, just like yesterday."

* * *

A long time had passed _indeed_ , Ash now realized. He remembered the last time he was here. How Gurkinn had remarked what a long way still lay ahead of his granddaughter to achieve perfection in the ways of her ancestors - she must have mastered all his challenges to finally fit his requirements. And she had already taken in an… _enthusiastic_ apprentice.

But that also meant…

"Wait, does that mean-" Ash trailed off and Korrina shot him a knowing smile before she curtsied before her visitors in an excessive way.

"May I introduce myself? Korrina – Gym-leader of Shalour City, guardian of the Tower of Mastery, keeper of the Scroll of Secrets and… official Mega-evolution-guru!"

"Wow! You really made it! If that isn't a steep rise since we last met!" the Champion congratulated, sincerely happy for his friend.

"Thank you! Although you were no slacker, either! Come on downstairs now – I'd hate the pancakes to get cold. LUCARIO! I hope you look your best, because we have visitors!"

 _Pancakes_? Ash did not agree with the things his Lucario accused him of when it came to the blonde Gym-leader, but _PANCAKES_? He wouldn't have minded to marry her then and there.

* * *

When they reached the end of the stone-clad corridor and entered Korrina's quarters, it turned out that she had renovated quite radically.

The ground of the main room was now covered with a dark wooden floor, a few colored rugs spread across it for Korrina's Pokémon to sit on.

The walls were painted in a light-creamy tone, only interrupted by the occasional ancient painting.

On the wall to their left stood a heavily ornamented wooden desk, no doubt a family heirloom, which left just enough space for a comfy looking black leather armchair to fit behind. Two similar but slightly smaller chairs stood on the opposite side of the table, meant for guests, most likely.

The number of books inside the room had drastically decreased, too, now limited to only a few shelves over, and a few racks next to the desk.

Judging by the punching bag that was barely visible from Ash's current position, a door in the far left side of the front wall must have led to the small training area Korrina had mentioned.

Most noticeable, however, was that the old bed on the front wall had been replaced with a kitchen unit.

It was currently manned by a curios-looking Lucario armed with a wooden spoon, wearing a pink apron that sported two red boxing-gloves on its front.

Albeit the bipedal jackal's expression quickly changed from curios to panicked, as he spotted his female conspecific entering the room behind her trainer.

A desperate last effort to ditch his accessories ended with the spoon barely missing the sink, landing on the counter next to it, and the apron barely missing a coat hanger, landing as a messy heap at its base.

Lucario ignored his minor failure bravely, instead preparing himself for introductions by taking a dignified stance, only tarnished by the small speck of dough on his cheek.

Korrina made his way over to her Pokémon with a giggle, wiping the dough of his cheek as subtly as possible.

"Sorry partner, guess I should have warned you sooner. May I introduce? This is Lucario and I'm sure you remember Ash, her trainer."

The male canine put one paw on his chest and bowed courtly, voicing a welcoming growl. Both jackals' Aura-sensors twitched, as they started to communicate with each other.

"Hey Lucario, long time no see!" Ash greeted with a small wave and added a mental _"poor guy",_ directed at his female companion.

He felt her amusement over their link.

 _"_ _He's lucky he's cute. And that he knows proper etiquette."_ was her court reply, clearly engulfed in the discussion with her new acquaintance already.

"Aaand here you go, Ash! Take a seat, if you please and enjoy!" Korrina had thrusted a plate filled with a generous stack of pancakes into his hands.

By the time he realized this, she had already steered her own stack towards the desk, where she sat down in her armchair.

Ash followed her lead and took one of the guest's seats.

After their Pokémon had settled on the rugs with their respective shares of the meal, they dug in.

Ash's resolve to marry the blonde woman increased with the first few bites.

"These. Are. Amazing." He couldn't help but mumble in utter astonishment, a gleam in his eyes as if Lady Arceus had just blessed him with eternal happiness.

"Well, they _are_ pancakes-" Korrina lowered her silverware for a moment, almost worried about the vacant expression on her former challenger's face "Are you… okay, Ash?"

"Y-yeah. Yeah. I just… need a moment to re-evaluate everything I have ever learned about good pancakes."

The Gym-leader shook her head with a smile at the exaggerated compliment, before continuing her breakfast.

Due to Korrina's curious nature, silence didn't last for long.

"So, you said something about your Lucario being the reason for your visit… care to elaborate?" she started casually.

Ash, now back in his own mind, nodded and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

A rumble from the entrance to the chambers stopped him right in his tracks, however.

"Excuse me!" Katherine stumbled into the room, this time without the rollerblades.

She had switched her clipboard for a tray filled with glasses of water and immediately started to distribute the beverages.

"I'm sorry for taking so long but we had no Pomace Mountain Water left in the fridge, so I had to haul a few bottles in from the storage room, but the door was jammed. Anyways, I put in some ice-cubes… and lemon slices! They say those are good for the digestion and _antiphlogistic_ , whatever that means…"

"Thank you, Kate." Korrina interrupted in the same patient tone she had already used during the encounter in front of the Tower of Mastery.

The girl smiled a wobbly smile at her 'lady'.

"Don't mention it. I'll put the rest riiiight here. Aaand I'll be off!"

Kate only made a few hasty steps towards the exit before she froze, turned, and paced over to Ash; now standing next to him with eyes shut tight and clenched fists.

"I am _so_ sorry to bother you, Mister Ketchum, Sir!" The Champion, due to the violent quiver in the girl's voice, shot an unsure glance at Korrina, who only shrugged.

"Yeah…?" he inquired carefully.

Poor Kate was barely holding on, as she took a deep breath and began: "It… it's j-just, I watched every one of you official matches ever since you first appeared in the Kalos Conference, a-and I rooted for you all the time, a-and now you're here, a-and… _ohmygosh_ I _yelled_ at the Kalos Champion in public, because I thought he was one of these obstinate try-hards or loitering _fan-boys_..!"

Ash saw this as his cue to intervene, before the girl fully broke down.

"Katherine… Kate. It's all right. No hard feelings, really!" He hoped the panic in his voice wasn't too obvious.

"Really…?" Katherine sniveled, not fully convinced.

"Really." Ash reassured "Look, if my word isn't enough, would it make you feel better if we… I don't know, signed a peace treaty?"

 _"_ _A peace treaty? Really?"_ Lucario giggled, but her trainer was currently not in the right mood for banter.

 _"_ _I'm not good at this sort of stuff!"_ He bit back.

"Like… an _autograph_? You would do that?!" The expression of Korrina's apprentice switched from utter devastation to excitement in a whim, and the man held a small notebook and a pen in his hand before he even knew what was happening.

He recognized the pen, as it had been already used today to point at him accusingly.

"T-that's my personal notebook. Everything valuable anyone has ever said to me to grow as a trainer, I write down in there. I left the first page blank for something special… If you just signed there? I-I don't even need a dedication!"

As he looked at the tear-eyed girl that nearly had an emotional breakdown because of him, Ash decided that to this part of his job, he would never get used to.

He would, however, give his best to set a good example, so he began to write. After a few moments, he looked at the page, satisfied.

"Here you go. 'To Kate. Rarely have I been woken by a lovelier voice. The best advice I can give you is: Stand up if you fall, don't be ashamed to take help if you need it, and listen to your heart, for it knows what you truly desire. Love, Ash'."

 _"_ _Who would have thought you were a poet on the inside? Good job though."_ Lucario praised, and Ash felt that she too was touched by his words.

 _"_ _Oh, shush. I'm trying here!"_ Her trainer retorted, now in mock offense, still waiting for a reaction from the girl.

Kate took the notebook in her shaking hands, reading over every word again. Then with a sudden 'snap' she closed it shut and looked – first at Ash then at Korrina.

With a hoarse voice she uttered: "E-excuse me, I got to go. I might pass out otherwise." And then she was off, the notebook tightly clasped against her chest all the way.

Ash gazed after his young admirer until she disappeared into the corridor that led back up to the main hall.

"I'm sorry, but did you just _break_ my apprentice?" Korrina voiced incredulously, after she had overcome her initial state of shock. "What do you know? Ash Ketchum knows all the wrong buttons to push on his female devotees!"

The Champion blushed lightly, glad that the tension in the room finally decreased.

"I guess you pick up a thing or two when half your mail consists of marriage proposals made by girls half your age." He admitted, feeling oddly shy at the sudden.

Korrina spluttered a few times, trying to maintain her serious expression, before she gave up and cracked up with laughter.

"Oh, tell me about it!" She exclaimed, wiping a few tears from her eyes "There was this trainer, once. He _literally_ proposed to me every other day. I think he even lost in the arena on purpose to have a reason to stay around. When he started to get touchy though, Lucario lost it and shattered his kneecap with a Bone Rush."

"Oh, darn!" Ash bit his lip, trying to keep the corners of his mouth from rising. The story was just too funny, especially after Korrina's Lucario stood up and struck a heroic pose, no regrets whatsoever.

He earned himself an (was it admiring?) smile from his female guest – sense of justice worked a bit different amongst Pokémon, and even Ash wondered if _maybe_ the guy had deserved his fate – at least a little bit.

"In the end, I had to pay a huge fine and now have a police file because of _'aggravated battery with a Pokémon'_ , but the guy never showed up on my doorstep again, _sooo_ … I still count it as a win! Even though it set us back quite a bit in grandpa's training."

The champion now shamelessly joined into his hostess' laughter.

The image of how Gurkinn must have looked when he walked into the arena; his granddaughter doing her best to hold back a furious Lucario, while at their feet lay a crying challenger, rolling in the dirt – it was just too funny.

* * *

To you it may not seem like much, but to Ash, this here situation was far from normal. His usual days had been far more serious since he joined the ranks of the Pokémon League. Even encounters with his old friends had somehow become a lot more formal than he wished them to be.

It only made him cherish the light mood with Korrina and her Lucario all the more.

"Whew… you sure know how to get us sidetracked, don't you Ash?" The young blonde blew her fringe out of her field of view, as the quartet slowly recovered from their outburst.

"Oh, so I'm the bad guy now? Must I remind you that I'm not the one with the criminal record here, _Lady Korrina_?" The trainer taunted back.

Korrina leaned into her armchair with a smug expression, imitating stereotypical crime lords when she crossed her legs and interlocked her fingers.

"That's right Mister Ketchum, and I'm still dying to hear your story. So you better start to come clean, or I'll be forced to resort to more… _unconventional_ methods."

Ash smirked and held up his hands in defeat.

"Thanks, but I'd rather spill before I have my knees shattered." He threw a quick glance back in the direction of the entrance, almost expecting to be interrupted again. After the interference failed to appear, he began to explain.

* * *

He decided to start from the beginning, telling Korrina what happened after he had left Shalour City all this time ago and how he had obtained his Key-Stone and the Lucarionite, shortening the bits the woman would already know either from the news or from live-transmissions of the battles he participated in on TV.

He then went into detail about the 'condition' he and his Lucario shared. Korrina, due to her upbringing, was naturally intrigued by everything that involved Mega-evolution.

Ash caught her nodding in intervals, deep in thought, only interrupting her guest a few times to look something up in a few ancient-looking books, or to go into detail on certain bits and pieces of the story. Ash could easily reply to her questions by forwarding answers his partner gave him through their Aura-link.

"Wow." Korrina concluded. It would later turn out that almost three hours had passed since Ash started with his statement.

"So you could talk to Lucario in actual words from the point you first linked. That's rare -unheard of, to be exact. Certain Pokémon are able to communicate with humans through words, sure… but for a trainer and his partner to achieve this deep a connection without the proper mutations? It normally takes decades, if they _ever_ succeed. It's exactly what Lucario and I have set as our next goal, so I hope you forgive me if I'm a little jealous. The only word he ever sent me as of yet was _'hungry'_ after a seven-mile-run!"

Ash chuckled and looked at his blue-furred companion with a friendly gaze.

"She really is one-of-a-kind. I mean, I already had a deep connection with her father, but the first time she tugged at my shirt, her Aura knocked me right out of my socks. I sometimes think she knows me better than I do."

 _"_ _You better believe it, buddy."_ The Lucario whispered into his mind and Ash tried to ignore the suggestive grin he picked up in the corner of his eye.

"I know _exactly_ what you mean." Korrina concurred with a smile, eyeing her partner herself.

"Now about your 'condition', as you call it. It's just as exceptional as everything about you two. Though, if you ask me, it's not directly caused by the progress of your bond. It's more about your Lucario's peculiar Aura itself. Instead of channeling and making her focus on her enemies during Mega-evolution, she seems to pick up all environmental influences with an unnaturally high sensibility. To manage this sensory overload, however, you will have an important role to fill as her trainer."

"Uh-hum. Don't mind me sitting here, stroking my chin as if I just understood a word you said." Ash responded in a dry voice.

"Alright, silly." Korrina groaned with a giggle "Lucario can't handle everything she is experiencing by herself, so you have to help out. Simple enough?"

"Simple enough. And how would I do that?" The Champion inquired, now back in the picture.

"Ah, don't worry, I know more than a few methods – some better than others." Korrina waved off.

She seemed to contemplate something, before she leaned forward in her chair, supporting her chin with her hands, elbows set on the desk underneath her.

There was an unsettling glint in her eyes – one he had seen before.

"Now there is but _one_ question left for me to ask and for _you_ to answer-" Something in the way Korrina had said that made the male gulp in discomfort "Why exactly are you _here_ , Ash Ketchum?"

 _"_ _Oh, dang!"_ Lucario, of course, was quick to voice his fears _"She read you just like I did! As if you were nothing but one of these dumb, colorful gossip magazines!"_

 _"_ _What do I do now?!"_ Ash panicked, not caring about upholding his disguise at the moment.

 _"_ _What do you do? I have no idea! But I know what I will do: Lean back… and enjoy the show."_

The Champion only showed his irritation by making one blink slightly longer than usual.

Korrina must have picked this up as an indicator that 'dense little Ash' hadn't caught onto what she was getting at. Of course he had – those days were long gone.

"Come on Ash, you are the _Champion_ , for Arceus' sake! The League would gladly throw all their best counselors at you if you just asked! Still, you came here. You even camped on my doormat." She leaned in even further " _Why_ , Ash? Is there something you're not telling me?"

Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

 _'_ _Get a grip, man'_ , he told himself. _'You're grown up. She's playing with you, and what do you do with someone who plays with you?'_ He opened his eyes again, now wearing a light smirk.

 _'_ _You join the game.'_

The young man now leaned forward, too, mimicking the position of Korrina.

"Well…" he began, clearing his throat "let's just say I remembered the… _sights_ of Shalour City to be quite lovely, this time of year. Maybe I wanted to use my little excursion… to make sure they still are? I have to say, they're even more beautiful than I remember."

The silence that hung in the air was only interrupted by the female Lucario clasping her hands together in glee, and her male counterpart dropping his Poképuff in sheer shock.

 _"_ _That's a bold strategy, Ash; let's see if it pays off for you!"_ Lucario commented and Ash could only agree.

He HAD been bold - a little too bold maybe?

Korrina still held her pose, now with eyes wide open and a bright blush on her face – that certainly had not been the answer she expected from an Ash Ketchum.

She slowly started to lean back, holding eye-contact all the while, until she was blocked in her retreat by the backrest of her armchair.

That made her somehow snap out of her perplexed condition. She quickly averted her glance, the blush still plainly visible.

Ash thought he heard her mumble something like "Well, that answers that question" before she jumped up, slamming the furniture she sat on into the wall behind her.

"ALRIGHT!" Korrina exclaimed, maybe a little too loud and hasty to rate her emotional situation as _only_ exited "Come on now, Ash! We have people to go and places to meet!"

"… What?"

"Yup! You guys want the fastest and most efficient way to get a grip on Lucario's Mega-evolution, right? Mabel should know what to do – she always does! Let's go! Lucario, grab my backpack!"

It was now Ash's turn to be dumbfounded as he watched Korrina rush through the room, throwing several utensils necessary for a camping trip in the rough direction of her blue-furred partner, who tried to catch them all in a red backpack.

"You're coming with us?" Ash asked over the sound of the turmoil around him. The blonde Gym-leader slammed one of her drawers shut and looked up.

"Of course! I-I mean… I wouldn't want to miss out on the claim to have helped the Champion's Lucario master Mega-evolution, right? Come on, no time to waste, low-tide's almost here! Switch off the light when you leave!" And with that she was out the door, everybody else trying hard to keep up with her pace.

 _"_ _I think someone can hardly wait to spend some alone-time with you!"_ Lucario noted.

 _"_ _I think I broke her, too!"_ Ash moaned in response, as he rushed up the corridor behind Korrina.

"KATE! I'll be gone for a few days! The arena is yours for the time being! Bye!"

"WHAT?! W-wait! What about your appointments?! I'm not even ready for that kind of responsibility yet!" echoed the incredulous voice of Katherine from some hallway.

"Don't worry about it, I'll ring up grandpa to help you out! I have faith in you! See you later!" The blonde had practically already left the building as she yelled the last sentence, but it didn't matter to her.

 _"_ _Oh, I can't wait to see where this is going to end!"_


	3. So When You See Her Standing There…

**So When You See Her Standing There…**

 **…** **with Blue Eyes and Long Blonde Hair.**

* * *

 **Enigm4 speaking here. Once again, I want to express my gratitude for all the support this little piece of work receives. It's always the same old story with authors and their forewords, I know, but what else is there for me to say, really?** **Anyways, since there were no questions posed in the reviews, I do not see a point in putting off the evil hour any further. As always, I hope you enjoy…**

* * *

 ** _—_** ** _Chapter three —_**

This evening's lesson was clear: It was a good thing they didn't take any shortcuts on their trip to Pomace Mountain.

That's what Ash thought at least, as he sat on a little plateau and surveyed the moonlit meadow the two trainers and their Pokémon had chosen to set their camp up in.

He had not taken the long route on one of his journeys since… how long? Ash didn't remember, but how relaxing it was not to hurry. After all, they were in no rush to reach their destination – contrary to what Korrina had said during her little… _outburst_ back in Shalour City.

No, Ash was happy to shift down a gear and just enjoy the scenery, as they slowly progressed through the countryside.

Well, the scenery _and_ the time spent with Korrina, but nobody had to know that.

Fortunately, she had quickly recovered from her flustered state-of-mind and the air between the two had soon turned back to normal.

Maybe the little pep-talk Ash had given to the blonde woman after she had called her grandfather was no mere drop in the bucket either.

It had been necessary, really, since Gurkinn had missed no opportunity to point out just how disappointed he was - how rash and irresponsible he thought her decision to be.

However, be it through her natural-born stubbornness (meaning she _'voiced her arguments'_ just as loud as Gurkinn did), or Jirachi spontaneously granting her a wish, Korrina had convinced her grandfather that this was something she had to do for the greater good of her progression as a person and trainer.

More than a little begrudgingly, the retired guru had agreed to help Katherine with the Gym for the time Korrina was gone.

Nothing mayor stood between them and Mabel now…

* * *

Ash was disturbed in his musings as two paws draped over his eyes, obstructing his vision.

 _"_ _Who am I?"_ An all-too familiar voice whispered into his mind. With the weight the trainer felt on his shoulder, it was as if the obviously furred being tired to imitate whispering into his ear.

"Who?" Ash sighed aloud, already dreading the answer.

 _"_ _Not Korrina."_ The paws lifted, revealing Lucario with the teasing smirk that recently had become usual - _too_ usual for her trainer's liking.

 _"_ _Bummer, huh?"_ The jackal put the boot in, as she settled across from Ash.

The Champion threw his head back with a groan.

 _"_ _Let's just get this over with."_ He mumbled mentally.

 _"_ _You are such a bore. And you act as if your little infatuation is something to be ashamed of."_ Lucario shot him a disapproving glance.

 _"_ _What does it matter to you, anyways? Isn't that… outside your reference as my Pokémon?"_ Ash deflected, fighting a lost fight against the 'talk' they were about to have.

It reminded him too much of the discussions with his mother whenever he first started one of his journeys to be a comfortable topic.

 _"_ _Oh, now you are going to insult me, is that it?"_ The female put a paw to her chest in mock-offense _"Act as if I, a highly intelligent, sentient being, am on the same level of self-awareness as a Weedle. If you must know, I do not only care about how my trainer is doing in battles, thank you very much. That… and meddling into your affairs is just… So. Much. Fun."_

 _"_ _Alright, girl."_ Ash crossed his arms _"Then go ahead and do what you have to do."_

Lucario examined his posture with a mischievous look.

 _"_ _I see. You want to discourage me. Have me worm every little detail out of you. You know that won't keep me from prying, so we might as well get started, huh? We could kind of ease into it with something easy, like… why are you so evasive?"_

 _"_ _That's NOT an easy question! And I'm not evasive, either!"_ He received a doubtful scoff for that (suspiciously fast) claim.

 _"_ _Look…"_ Ash sighed. What _could_ he do to evade? Subtle backlash? Feign ignorance? Just give up…? His emotional wall seemed to crumble for no reason.

 _"_ _I'm not someone who just throws himself at people – well, I do… sometimes. But not when it comes to something like… this. I haven't had feelings like these before, so I figured I need to do this in my own time. I just didn't want to act rash, like I used to when I was younger. Maybe that's why I've been a little… hesitant to talk to you."_

Lucario narrowed her eyes, leaned forward and lightly poked Ash's chest with her paw.

 _"_ _I hope you're not insinuating that I am throwing myself at… someone, mister. I may know what I want, but that does not mean that it's going to be an 'easy game' for a certain Pokémon. Having said that…"_ Her voice softened considerably _"What kind of feelings are we talking about exactly?"_

Ash just shrugged as he ran a hand through the grass.

 _"_ _The ones that make you feel hot and cold at the same time? The ones that make you stop and gape like an idiot… the ones that make you say things you thought you'd never even think... Arceus, that sounds so stupid when you say it aloud."_

Lucario blinked, surprised.

 _"_ _Well, that was more revealing than I expected. So… a certain someone might have asked the same thing already, but I hope to receive a more honest and less… flirty answer this time: Why exactly are we here, Ash?"_

The Champion chuckled and scratched his head in embarrassment.

 _"_ _Yeah, that was REAL smooth, wasn't it? But I wish I knew myself. I guess-"_ He exhaled loudly _"I guess… when I first journeyed through Kalos and met Korrina, there was something about her. She was tall, strong, determined… pretty. And she loved the same things I did, which basically were battling and eating at that time. Sooo… maybe I did fancy her a little?"_

 _"_ _A little, Ash? That must have been the first time I ever heard you call a woman 'pretty', aside from 'pretty persistent' or 'pretty annoying'."_ Lucario stated with a raised brow.

 _"_ _Maybe."_ Ash rubbed his temples with a groan.

 _"_ _Okay, let's just say… when I thought about ways to overcome our… condition, it could be possible that I saw the chance to combine our training with testing out if Korrina still had this effect on me. And I took the chance. I couldn't know that she would sweep me right off my feet first glance, could I?"_

For a moment or two, no sound but the wind brushing through the grass could be heard. Then Lucario stood up and patted her trainer's shoulder sympathetically as she passed him.

 _"_ _I guess you couldn't."_ the blue-furred jackal finally agreed _"Come on, we should get back to camp."_

 _"_ _Wait, that's it?!"_ Ash was perplexed as he saw his partner already starting to descend from the plateau.

 _"_ _Sure. You basically admitted that you're head over heels for that Gym-Leader, that's all I ever wanted to hear from you. Now I just wait and watch things unfold."_

 _"_ _W-what?!"_

* * *

The week it took the quartet to reach Mabel's secluded home on Pomace Mountain passed in no time, thanks to the comfortable atmosphere between the companions.

It also transpired that the synergy between the two Lucarios worked out _very_ nicely. Well, if that's what you want to call a constant look of utter admiration on the male's face, that is. But what did it matter, especially if the female didn't seem to mind any of the shy advances?

Ash however, had not been quite as successful on his passes. It wasn't as if he had been rejected, on the contrary – no, progress only seemed a little slower on his side.

He wondered if it had something to do with him not _fully_ asserting himself during the little sparring-match he and Korrina decided to have after he had casually mentioned the self-defense training every Champion received from the Pokémon League.

It had _not_ been a pleasant experience for the young man.

Another (less burdensome) explanation was that human 'courting', as Ash's Lucario would call it, just worked differently. That it took more time and effort. Yes, that must have been it. He only had to be patient.

After all, you know what they say about Pokémon and their trainers…

* * *

Reencountering Mabel and her Mawile had been just as pleasant as everything else (besides the sparring) on this journey.

Ash was happy to see that both the elderly lady and her trusty companion were still rejoicing good health, no doubt due to the good diet and fresh mountain air, he suspected.

It was no surprise that Mabel gladly offered her help after Ash and Lucario had portrayed their situation and Korrina had added all her theories and observations.

Yet, there was a little problem. There were no flower arrangements to be made this time…

" _WHAT_?! Excuse me, good lady, I think I misheard you!" Ash yelled, irritating a few bird-Pokémon in the tree Mable's house was built in "Did you just say that Lucario and I have to seek out and confront potentially _lethal_ situations to somehow reach a higher… _whatever_ in our bond?!"

Mabel just nodded lightly, still wearing the same kind smile as before.

"It may not have been my exact phrasing, but yes. That pretty much hits it home, my dear boy. You see, your bond with Lucario is one of the deepest I have ever seen. Were you just an aspiring young trainer, there would be nothing I could offer you. But you are the Champion. And your Pokémon here must be the most astonishing young thing I have ever laid my old eyes on."

Lucario averted her gaze with a blush at the compliment.

"The problem this bares is that no being could ever process the sheer power your Lucario emits in its Mega-evolved state. That is why you have to become one – not in the spiritual 'two hearts, one mind' way, but by actually using your Aura-link to share each other's bodies and come to terms with the influences that way."

Ash ran one hand through his short hair, as he started pacing around on the balcony in unrest. There went his quiet vacation – he could already smell the blood and sweat again.

"And I guess nothing could better fuse them together like trying to live through mortal danger, right?" It was Korrina who asked, clearly intrigued by the unusual training technique.

"Quite right, Korrina. Triggering the fusion by simulating a life threatening situation would circumvent years and years of meditating, consuming time the Kalos Champion surely doesn't have." Mabel agreed and Ash became attentive again.

"You said _simulating_ , right?! So we don't actually have to train in a 'succeed or die trying' kind of way?"

The old lady waved him off with a laugh.

"Oh, I'm sure you can minimize the chance of serious injuries if you do it right. The most important thing is only how you _perceive_ the situation." Ash let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. How could she act like she merely revealed a secret ingredient for her cake-recipe? Lives were at stake! HIS life was at stake!

"But how would they do that?" Korrina asked.

"Don't worry, my dear girl! I can give you a few directions, but the final touch I leave up to you. I fear that my old bones just aren't up to that kind of training anymore." Mabel tapped her walking cane suggestively.

"But I'm sure you'll come up with something – you are Gurkinn's granddaughter after all!"

"Is it strange that I'm still not fully comfortable with the idea of near-death-experiences?" Ash threw in, worried.

Korrina walked up to him and slapped his shoulder in a friendly gesture.

"Don't sweat it, Mister Champion! Remember the job-exploration internship every kid had to do in fifth grade? I did mine in a Pokémon-Center! Your life is in good hands."

Ash's elated expression only stayed until after a moment he remembered a minor detail…

"Wait… wasn't that internship for, like… five days tops?"

"Uhm, yeah? Plenty of time to learn how to save an Ash!" Korrina winked.

To make matters worse, Lucario now decided to butt in as well, as she stepped behind her trainer and began to massage his stiffened neck muscles the best she could with her paws.

 _"_ _Mh… can you imagine, Ash? The little Gym-leader as your very own Nurse Joy, ready to tend to you whenever you are beaten and bleeding. Isn't that romantic?"_

Ash jumped at the touch, but didn't bother to argue afterwards.

"Sure." He mumbled as he watched Mabel give Korrina advice about things that the uninvolved bystander could easily mistake for torture-strategies.

* * *

Let me ask you: Have you ever been sucker-punched in the guts? Maybe you have, and can now understand some of the pain Ash went through nearly every day in the month that followed his excursion to Mabel on Pomace Mountain.

But wouldn't your understanding end at the point you realized that the sucker-punches really were Drain Punches administered by Korrina's Mienshao?

Would you be shocked that the sole purpose of them was to bring Ash and his Lucario to the brink of unconsciousness, only to be able to start the real training?

Granted, to be confronted with an angry horde of Pokémon in a near-delirious state was a _really_ good way of making one feel like his life was threatened, kudos for that. But would Ash ever reach a point that somewhat resembled a sense of 'getting used to it'? No, he would not.

A thing he could definitely get used to, however, was waking up with his head in Korrina's lap after yet another blackout. Her worried expression that she tried to hide with her smile, her gentle touch as she cleaned the cuts and bruises on his face… Ash was no masochist, but that was almost worth the pain.

Needless to say that the two young humans bonded a lot over the time.

There wasn't much else to do, really, since they still were in the isolated outskirts of Pomace Mountain and the demanding nature of their training only allowed for a few hours of practice each day.

Afterwards, Ash and Lucario were always so beaten that any other extracurricular activity was beyond dispute.

So, they talked. Learned about each other's dreams and fears. Got to know each other.

It was also inevitable that the sexual tension that existed between the two ever since Ash showed up on Korrina's doorstep rose, a thing the two Lucarios, who were way less secretive about the fact that they liked each other loved to tease their trainers about.

It appeared that Korrina and Ash both very well knew that there was _something_ between the two of them, but neither dared to mention it in fear of the consequences.

Therefore, training continued in its customary cycle, until…

* * *

Time seemed to slow down as Ash's Greninja jumped into the air, charging up a Dark Pulse that was clearly aimed at his trainer.

A nearly knocked-out Lucario was lying in front of Ash. So, barley conscious and in his drained state, basic instincts controlled her trainer's actions.

First thing that came to his mind had been to help his partner, but now, with the certainty of mutilation as the purplish-black ray of energy shot towards him, everything seemed to scream: " _run_ ".

He couldn't, though. Be it through fear or exhaustion… no muscle in his body obeyed his commands.

That was when, through Aura, his frantically working mind reached out, desperate to cling to anything that would help him in his seemingly inescapable situation.

It found Lucario's mind, which seemed to do the exact same thing, and without a second thought they melted together.

Ash's vision exploded in a mix of white-hot and red, forcing him to close his eyes in pain.

As he reopened them, he noticed something peculiar. His point of view had changed. Everything was tinted in light crimson and he now saw sharper, further and simply… more.

Was that what Mabel had meant with this… fusion?

He couldn't rack his brain too much, since Greninja's Dark Pulse still made its way towards the Champion.

Instinctively, he raised his hand (why was it covered in fur?) and focused his Aura into a small sphere that he then fired towards the dark beam.

A colossal explosion shook his surroundings as the attack was countered, but Ash could see right through the resulting smoke and shot three more Aura Spheres towards Greninja.

All of them connected before the still airborne frog even had the chance to land, hauling him straight across the meadow and right into a larger boulder, defeated.

Meanwhile, a completely baffled Korrina and her Lucario observed the whole occurrence from the sidelines.

She saw how Ash's frantically shaking body suddenly grew still.

How both he and his partner were engulfed in a bright light.

How a Mega-evolved and not at all exhausted Lucario took the place of her nearly passed out other self.

How said Pokémon shot Aura Spheres as if it didn't take any effort.

How a visible thin red line of energy connected the Pokémon and her trainer.

And how Ash pierced her with his eyes that radiated in an eerie crimson color instead of the familiar soft brown.

For a minute, both Pokémon and trainer meticulously scanned their surroundings, searching for any more threads.

In fear of sharing the same fate as Greninja, every other participant in the exercise stepped back for a good ten steps as a black paw challengingly pointed at them.

The duo recognized this as their opponents surrendering, and Lucario slowly lowered her appendage.

Not long after, the red line of Aura between Ash and his Lucario faded.

With a soft glow, Lucario changed back into her normal state and Ash's eyes regained their usual color as if nothing had happened.

Korrina was still frozen in place, hands clasped in front of her mouth, as she awaited any reaction from the Champion.

In the meantime, her Lucario sprinted towards his conspecific, flinging himself at her in a hug, both Pokémon yipping in glee.

Ash watched them for a little while, a small smile forming on his face, before his eyes found Korrina's yet again.

The smile only widened and he began to walk over to her, the blonde haired Gym-leader meeting him halfway.

"We did it." Ash said in a strange tone as they stopped at an arm's length away from each other.

Korrina started to nod, lightly at first but it changed to frantically soon, before she did as her Pokémon had demonstrated and flung herself at the male.

"We did it!" She confirmed and Ash's worlds just grew a little brighter as she tightened her hug. Was it normal that his first thought was 'I would kill for another one of these'?

"Arceus, that was amazing! I have never seen anything like this before! Your link… I thought I _lost_ you both back then, but you two… _wow_." Korrina gushed, her voice muffled by the proximity of her mouth to the crook of the Champion's neck.

Ash could do nothing but blush, grin dumbly and stroke the back of his… _crush_.

In the corner of his eye, the trainer spotted his Lucario who was still engulfed in an embrace herself. She winked at him and gave him a subtle thumbs-up.

He replicated the silly gesture.

It took a whole while until Ash was ripped out his little world by a distant rumble, followed by a groan.

At first, the trainer frowned in thought. Then it dawned on him.

With a curse he broke away from Korrina, sprinting in a specific direction.

"Damn! Greninja! I'm coming, buddy!"


	4. I didn't Know that I was Starving…

**I didn't Know that I was Starving…**

 **…** **till' I Tasted You.**

* * *

 **Enigm4 here. This is it, the final installment of this little project. Already, you ask? I fear so. As I have stated before, long stories just don't suit me – my life does not allow me to dedicate myself to long, epic tales. Yet, I trust you savored this journey as much as I did and even though this last chapter may have turned out a little sappier than intended, I hope you all enjoy it nevertheless. Feedback would be very much appreciated – it's the last chance for me to take your suggestions to heart, should anything follow in the future.**

* * *

 ** _—_** ** _Chapter 4 —_**

In his past, Ash had been called a lot of things. Some people had told him he was too childish, too nosy… too dense. Some of them would probably insist that he still was today.

Granted, they weren't wrong about a few things. But Ash would have to argue as soon as someone would go as far as calling him a fool, because that he was not.

Even though it may seem otherwise, beneath his… _youthful_ exterior lay a considerable amount of knowledge. You could think of it as an inner scripture. A book with big and plentiful pages, filled with wisdoms and experiences he had gained over years of trying, failing and succeeding.

And somewhere, stuck between these pages, a little mental note had fallen out not too long ago. Written on it was a realization as old as philosophy itself. A recognition Ash couldn't seem to get off his mind ever since he had picked the note up.

 _Everything good has to end at some point_.

A little bit melancholic, but true, after all. He knew that he couldn't stretch his vacation forever. The initial cause of his journey – his _challenge,_ the one reason (among others)… it had been completed.

Hell, his cell phone hadn't stopped buzzing since four days ago! _'Pokémon League – secretary's office'_. What a persistent person his persecutor had to be.

Well, good luck to her calling him on a phone lying at the bottom of a river – too bad he had _lost_ it on his last midnight stroll.

Knowing the standard procedure, this should at least give him a few days until the League would send out a courier to go look for him and _politely_ ask him to return to his duties. The League always asked politely.

Only a few more days left to tie up all the loose ends that still surrounded him…

* * *

A wistful smile snuck onto Ash's face as his eyes wandered over their camp and landed on a few specks of blue against dark green. There, a few paces away from his position and mostly concealed by nature lay two Lucarios huddled together (not only for warmth), barely anything but their ears visible hence to the tall grass surrounding them.

Why couldn't he be a bit more like his Pokémon? Why did he have to be so pathetically timid when it came to calling things as they were?

It had all started two days ago with the two jackals confronting their trainers respectively, asking for their blessing.

Apparently, Lucario had not only convinced her male counterpart that stargazing was a worthwhile pastime, she had also made it _very_ clear what she saw in Korrina's companion – a mate.

The male hadn't dared to disagree, of course.

Long story short, neither the Campion nor the Gym-Leader were willing to stand in the way of what they perceived as fate, and so it happened that since then, the two blue-furred canines barely spent an hour apart from each other.

Ash tore his gaze off the new couple. They needed their privacy and he would probably feel less awkward if he was not spying on them.

No, he decided that his time was much better spent on watching the stars himself, searching its endless limits for answers (he didn't find any) and occasionally recognizing a constellation that one of his friends must have pointed out to him sometime, somewhere.

Then, a rustle drew his attention towards the tent next to his own.

Even in the dimly lit night, the young man could clearly see how the zipper on its entrance slowly moved upwards, opening.

After the motion and the noise stopped, Korrina emerged from the inside, stretching herself with a yawn. Her blonde hair, this time not tamed by any ties, immediately started to sway in the mild breeze that blew across the clearing; an (in his humble opinion) ethereal sight that gave Ash a minor case of goosebumps.

The woman froze – an indication that she just now realized that she wasn't the only person awake this time of night.

However, her look of astonishment soon changed into a small grin as she identified her onlooker and crossed the distance between the two tents with a few steps.

"Is this seat taken?" She asked with a quiet voice, a hint of humor in her words.

A simple ' _no'_ would have been enough, but Ash wouldn't be Ash if he made things easy for himself.

"Even if it was, I would make sure you'd be able to sit down, anyways."

Yes, curse him and his loose, smooth-talking tongue.

Korrina giggled as she settled down at the offered location, only a hand's broad of space now separating the two humans.

"Oh, my! I bet you'd even go as far as throw a frail lady off the bus to make room for little old me, wouldn't you? And they say chivalry is dead!" The blonde teased Ash with a smirk, making him blush in return.

Her giggle quickly died down and a few moments passed where both trainers just stared into the night sky.

"So… what kept you from finding sleep?" Korrina broke the silence.

"Uhh…" The male shrugged "I didn't really try to sleep, actually. It's unusual for a night to be so mild this time of year. I thought I might as well enjoy it while it lasts. I'll have more than enough time to catch up on sleep once I'm back behind my desk at the Pokémon League, you know?"

"I bet you have." Korrina chuckled. Then, she averted her gaze and pulled her knees closer to her body to rest her chin on top of them.

Since Ash dared not to look away from the last star constellation he had spotted, fearing that his heartbeat would quicken even more if he did, he missed the small smile that adorned Korrina's face as her eyes fell on the Lucario couple in the distance.

"You know, I'm still not sure if I should worry about those two." The Gym-Leader once again tried to initiate a conversation.

Ash jumped slightly at her unexpected statement and followed her gaze to the two Pokémon.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Korrina shot him a sideways glace.

"Well, if she turns out to be anything like her trainer, she could end up as quite the heartbreaker…" Her teasing tone was back again.

"H-heart- _what_? I have no idea what you're talking about!" Ash visibly tensed when he realized just how loud his voice echoed in the silence of night, his cheeks feeling hot all over again.

Korrina playfully bumped his shoulder with hers.

"Oh, _reaaaally_?" She drawled "I'm sorry, I only seem to remember how totally into you Serena seemed to be when we first met – guess I must have jumped to conclusions after I've never read about you guys in any of the magazines."

At the mention of the honey-blonde performer, an unpleasant, queasy feeling settled in Ash's gut. He had to clear his throat before answering, so much had it dried up.

"Yeah… about that." Ash hesitated and scratched his forehead. Humans weren't very good when it came to admitting their failures, and the story behind Serena involved failures on his side. A lot of them.

But Korrina wasn't one to beat around the bush when it came to her curiosity.

"Come on, we've talked about nearly everything in the last few months, but somehow, you always avoid to mention her. Did something happen between you two? Spill it."

"Alright, alright…" Ash relented "Jeez, and I thought Lucario was the only one to stick her nose where it's uncomfortable."

"Ew! What's with the mental images?" Korrina punched him in the shoulder with a distasteful look "And quit the stalling, mister!"

"Ouch! Damn..!" The Champion rubbed his aching arm, while he tried to sort his thoughts.

"Okay, contrary to popular belief, I did know that Serena was 'totally into me', as you so gracefully put it. Not right away, but sooner than one might expect. And I felt guilty that I couldn't really… reciprocate her feelings." Ash finally admitted.

"Heartbreaker. Called it." Korrina threw in, feeling affirmed in her assumption. She crossed her arms with a huff.

Do I need to mention that words like these are probably the worst thing to come out of the mouth of your secret infatuation? She couldn't see him as such a vile person… could she?

"No! Well, not intentionally!" Ash defended himself "I was afraid that if I told Serena that I didn't see her _that_ way, it would've made travelling uncomfortable for all of us. So I decided to act as if I didn't notice. That way it was only awkward for me… and maybe her a little." He trailed off and lowered his gaze.

"You should have told her." Korrina said after a rather long period of quietness, her voice now grown softer "I can only imagine how many guys Serena must have blown off because she was mooning over a relationship with you. A relationship she couldn't have."

Ash sighed.

"Maybe I should have. But that would have made her split up with the group right away. Call me egoistic, but I didn't want that, either. I guess there were only wrong choices to be made, really." Korrina emitted what Ash perceived as a half thoughtful, half affirmative hum.

"Anyways… as I journeyed alone, I did start to miss her company more and more – guess that's what you call irony, huh? Again, I didn't dare to visit or call her in fear of giving her the wrong idea – the wrong idea that would have probably been the right idea at that point, but… I'm not really making sense, am I?"

Korrina only gave him a reassuring smile as sign that she understood and that he should go on.

"I think almost three years passed without seeing her. We met again when I was appointed as Kalos Champion. She was with this… guy by then. A decent fellow, from what I could tell - tall, handsome, some sort of stylist or designer or something. She told me that he had approached her after one of her performances and that things went their way from there. I didn't really care for his name… but it pretty much pulled the plug and all the pent up feelings just… drained away."

Ash ended and stared at the short grass in front of him. He was disturbed in his brooding by a soft squeeze of his lower arm.

"I'm sorry to hear that things turned out that way for you."

There was no doubt that Korrina was sincere as she could be, but somehow, Ash couldn't care less at the moment.

Not while his eyes were fixed on _her_ s – shining, honest, blue orbs that emitted a magical glow in tonight's moonlight… she had him caught like a Deerling in headlights.

"I'm not." He murmured, immediately alerted as the Gym-Leader pulled away with a confused look.

"I-I mean, I know they say that opposites attract, but I always felt that Serena and I… we were just a little too different for it to really work out, you know? A-and it's not like we're not friends anymore… just with a bit of a bitter aftertaste on my side." Ash hastily explained.

He let out a mental breath of relief as Korrina's gaze changed back to one of understanding.

"Well, I'm sure there's… someone out there for you." She reassured in a suspicious tone, her eyes averted. Ash nodded.

"Yeah." He agreed lamely and bit his lip to stop himself from going on- from saying what his mind violently ordered him to say.

By the look Korrina gave him, he knew that his mind wasn't the only one expecting him, _begging_ him to say more.

But he couldn't. Not even as he actually saw the disappointment wash over her face for a split second; the silky soft skin between her thin eyebrows scrunching together in the smallest of frowns. It was too much.

"I have to leave… soon." He blurted out, his words cutting through the air like paper through a finger's skin.

Ash acted as if on rails. His mental scripture of wisdom lay in front of him - he tore the pages with the large stop-signs right out of it.

"Oh." Korrina's answer was no more than an exhale, but the tension of her body spoke volumes. Way to kill the mood, tough guy.

"Yeah… the League is breathing down my neck already." Arceus, he was such an idiot.

"When… will you go?" Korrina asked.

"When we reach Shalour City… I guess?"

"So tomorrow, basically." Korrina stated.

Judging by the bitterness the Gym-Leader's voice carried along and the tightening of her jawline, Ash had really messed up. Or was it the icy glare that lead him to this conclusion? He couldn't really decide.

"W-we could take a little detour, to-" Ash was cut off before he could make matters worse.

"To stall a little longer? What for? Tell me, Ash! Have you not achieved everything you came here for? Why avoid the unavoidable, hm Mister Champion? What keeps you _here_?"

Ash knew a challenge when he was confronted with it. Or if it was slapped right into his face, like it was the case here.

 _She knew._

He tried to scramble to his feet, to abort the mission – It was nice participating, but he would seek the exit now. Or would he?

"It's really gotten late, I should go and-"

"No." He was stopped in his tracks by a firm grip on his arm.

"No?" Ash repeated in an anxious tone as he was pulled right back into his sitting position.

"No." Korrina confirmed. The Champion's breath hitched as he looked into the dangerously narrowed eyes of the blonde-haired woman, her lips pursed into a light scowl.

Even like this, she was stunning.

Korrina held her glare for a few moments longer before she growled in frustration and grabbed Ash by the collar of his shirt, pulling him close enough for their foreheads to touch.

"Do you have any idea how frustrating you are, Ash Ketchum?" the blonde hissed with a ferocity that would have made the man fear for his health, were he not so sedated by the lovely smell of her hair and the smoothness of her skin.

All he could do was open and close his mouth dumbly, no words escaping him whatsoever.

"Do you know what you do to me, dropping hints and sly remarks left and right for weeks and weeks on end, only to take two steps back whenever I try to... to approach you? You damn… _idiot_!"

A cold shiver ran down his spine as Ash saw behind the angry exterior of Korrina. The glister in her eyes, the quivering of her lower lip… even to him it was obvious that Korrina's rage only disguised her agony – agony she felt because of him and his cowardice.

Realization hit him like an Aura Sphere and he knew that this time, a simple sorry wouldn't be enough. But what would be?

He had so, _so_ messed up.

The blonde Gym-Leader left him no time to ponder – he wouldn't come to a satisfying conclusion anyways, she most likely thought.

A look of determination crossed Korrina's face.

"You know what? Your little game might work on other girls, but I'm _nothing_ like them." She growled lowly, and just like that, it happened.

She yanked at his collar and pulled Ash closer. _Much_ closer. The kind of closer that included pressing her lips onto his.

Korrina put everything she had into the kiss – affection, frustration and desperation.

It was bitter-sweet melancholy and honesty on her side, guilt and shock on his side - nothing like either of them wanted their first exchange of open affection to be like, yet… it was perfect in its own, twisted way.

Ash didn't dare to kiss back, in fear of insulting her, exploiting her. He wanted to _not_ enjoy her soft lips on his – how could he dare to profit from her pain? But the Champion was weak. He couldn't help it. In his mind, Korrina was as perfect a woman could be and right now, right here she was kissing him… he truly was a dense moron.

After what felt like eternity and no time at the same, Korrina pulled back, her expression still forcefully stoic, but her lips now swollen and her breathing as shallow as his own.

"Tell me this isn't what you wanted, Ash." She dared him after finding her voice again "Tell me… and you won't have to fly back to the League tomorrow, because Machamp will Focus Blast you there. Right now."

Her (certainly not empty) threat snuck a weak smile onto Ash's lips. She won, he lost. And losing to someone never felt so good.

"I'm such a fucking idiot…" Ash finally breathed as he reached out with one trembling hand to swipe a loose fringe back behind Korrina's ear.

The woman let it happen but averted her gaze and let go of his collar, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"That's true, but not the truth I want to hear." Elation flooded every nook of Ash's body as her voice softened. Maybe he had just imagined it, but he thought he saw the corner of her mouth lift in a hint of a smirk, too.

"Alright…" Ash let out a loud breath and shook his arms to loosen them up as if preparing for a physical challenge. In a way, he was. "No more hiding. What do you want to hear?"

"I want to hear what goes on in that head of yours. And I'm not talking about Pokémon battles; I'm talking about us."

"Okay." The raven-haired trainer nodded in understanding. "You want to hear the long version, or…?" The glare he received gave him his answer before fully posing the question "I'll stick with short and simple, then."

He took another deep breath.

"You know, ever since we first met, I - I liked you. I liked you unlike any of my female companions ever before. I dismissed the feeling at first, but after I won my badge and left… small, random things seemed to always remind me of you… _very_ regularly. I thought it was strange, and so I decided to… _use_ this little excursion to meet you again and see if I couldn't find out where this all came from. And when I saw you that morning in front of the Tower of Mastery… it was like… like the floor was pulled out from under me…" he sighed and swallowed heavily, his eyes now transfixed onto his hands resisting in his lap.

"And just like that, I was falling… deeper and deeper each day. Falling in love with you, I mean." His voice grew quiet.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it. I love you and I was terrified, because I didn't know if you felt the same… until just now, I guess…?"

Instead of a verbal response, Korrina pushed his shoulder hard enough that he landed on his back. Before he knew it, the blonde had climbed on top of him, her hand on his chest to keep him in place.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" she asked with the most dazzling smile Ash had ever seen, her face hovering just inches in front of his.

"You have no idea." He whispered back before Korrina stole his last breath with another kiss.

This one was a lot different from their first one... slow, testing and a little awkward. What did you expect from two trainers who had a lot of experience with Pokémon battles, but nearly none when it came to human intimacy?

"I have _no_ idea what I'm doing." Korrina admitted with a small laugh as they separated. Her arms were now wrapped around the Champions neck, her forehead pressed up against his again.

"Me neither." Ash grinned back, tightening his grip on her waist just a little more.

Both of them were way to overcome with elation to care for the imperfections in their exchange of affections. What was an occasional bump of their noses or a misplaced knee when it felt like you just found your long lost other half?

"Mhhh I guess skill comes with practice…" Korrina mumbled against his lips, the long kisses now splitting into shorter but no less tender pecks.

"And if you haven't noticed by now…" another peck "… I've fallen in love with you, too, Ash Ketchum. "

* * *

"So… is this happening?" Korrina asked after they had basked in each other's presence so long that it wouldn't be easy to get up at a reasonable time next morning.

"What?" Ash asked dumbly.

His mind was not really capable to process much more than the fact that he was currently on top of her and that his lips were pressed to her neck and that it just felt… _wonderful_.

"You know… us?" The blonde tried to clarify in a mix of uncertainty and breathlessness. It was enough for even Ash to catch on.

"If you want to…" He answered, already prepping the skin of her neck with more kisses "I hope you want to."

Korrina put her hands on each of his cheeks and gently pulled him up to eye-level – maybe she could get his attention for more than a few seconds this way.

"I can't leave Shalour City very often… and the Pokémon League isn't exactly next door." She reasoned. Ash only smiled and pushed her back into the soft grass.

"My Charizard is fast. You'd be surprised." He said and kissed her lips, breaking the little resistance she had put up like a dry twig.

"My grandfather might disapprove…" She continued to argue after they parted, although now with no real intention to achieve anything but hearing more words of sweet reassurance.

"Your grandfather can-" Ash was stopped mid-sentence by a sharp poke to the ribs – apparently this was not the best way to answer.

He settled for something more polite (but less truthful). "I will ask your grandfather politely for his blessing, of course."

"I'm sure you will."

Considering how Korrina pulled the Champion back into her, women seemed to _not_ _always_ want to hear the _full_ truth. "And if he says no?"

"Then I'll kidnap you."

"Mhhh…" In no way seemed the blonde astonished by the sobriety with which those words left the mouth of her new love.

"Why do I like this idea much more than I should?" She asked instead, nuzzling his nose with hers in affection.

"Maybe it's a hidden fantasy of yours?" Ash's teasing was stopped in an instant by a not-so-gentle nip to his bottom lip.

"Don't test your game mister, you might lose… _again_."

"Sorry." He was not really sorry.

"You better be." She did not really care.

And so started another series of kisses, hugs and squeezes. Until Ash couldn't contain his guilt any longer.

"I'm sorry about how I acted earlier, too." He said.

Korrina put a finger onto his lip to stop him from going any further. Maybe she had already anticipated that Ash would break down into a series of "I'm-sorry's" and "forgive-me's" sooner or later.

"Ah, yeah I think you owe me one for that." Was everything she had to say for that matter.

"Whatever you want." The male quickly promised, glad that he was let off so easily.

"I'll keep you up on that." And she would. Oh, _yes_ … she would.

"Not right now?" For Ash, realization was lagging a bit behind today.

With a swift push, Korrina had turned the couple so that she was lying on top of him again, her blue orbs glued to the lips of the man at her mercy in a hungry stare.

"Nope." She purred.

"… That wasn't the smartest decision, was it?" Ash chuckled. He had to admit that his dumb ideas today had all turned out fairly well – better than he deserved, at least.

The corner of Korrina's mouth lifted in a smirk.

"Nope."

And those should be the last words spoken between the young lovers until the sun broke again…

* * *

 ** _–_** ** _End –_**


End file.
